Actor Saiju Kurup: Playing the hero is a different ball game
Saiju Kurup began his career with what could have been a dream debut, headlining a film directed by the veteran Hariharan. However, Mayookham (2005) did not achieve the expected success, leaving Saiju disheartened. Undeterred, he persevered and carved a niche for himself through a variety of supporting roles over the years, including serious, comedic, and villainous characters. Shibu Vellayani from Trivandrum Lodge (2012), Pappan from 1983 (2014), Arakkal Abu from the Aadu franchise, Johny Peringodan from Driving License (2019), and Prasannan from Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25 (2019) are some of the memorable and distinctive portrayals that earned him audience appreciation while establishing himself as a seasoned performer in supporting roles. It wasn’t until his 100th film, Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan (2022), became a success that he seriously considered taking on lead roles again.
As we sit down for a conversation about his upcoming film Bharathanatyam, directed by debutant Krishnadas Murali, in which the actor headlines and also takes on the role of a producer for the first time, Saiju appears calm and composed ahead of its release on Friday.
Excerpts:
How would you define the film Bharathanatyam?
We often say that we all dance to the tune of life, and while that is one reason we titled this film Bharathanatyam, which is a pan-Indian classical dance form, there’s another aspect that makes the title particularly apt for the story. Also, if you look closely at the title, you’ll notice two hidden faces, which tie into the suspense element of the film. Bharathanatyam is presented as a wholesome family comedy entertainer, and it does not follow the usual hero-heroine template. There is no single lead or protagonist, as all the characters have equal weightage with well-developed arcs from start to finish.
Does the title have any connection to the dance form?
At the moment, I'm not in a position to reveal whether the film or its title has a direct connection with the dance form. Let’s leave that for the audience to discover. They'll come to understand the significance of the title once they watch the film.
What can you tell us about your character in this film?
I play a typical rural bachelor, someone involved with the temple committee and related activities. Sai (Kumar) chettan and Kalaranjini chechi are playing my parents. I am their second child among four, and the eldest son. The story revolves around a family that tends to deal with matters secretly and takes pride in maintaining a false sense of honour. An unexpected major issue arises within the family, and the film follows how their relatives and community members get involved, with the story unfolding through comical situations surrounding this crisis.
Earlier, Krishnadas mentioned that Bharathanatyam revolves around a family that takes excessive pride in their heritage. In that sense, is the film envisioned as a satire as well?
Some people might perceive it as a satire. Others might feel the characters are realistic, while some could see them as caricatures. However, I believe that when you watch the film, you’ll realise that the characters are more real than caricatures—ones you can identify from your own lives.
How did you decide to make Bharathanatyam your foray into production?
I always dreamed of producing a movie. I might only produce one film in my entire life, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Although I established a company called Saiju Kurup Entertainments LLP in partnership with my wife, Anupama Nambiar, last year, I was waiting for the right film. I’ve always loved family entertainers, and I wanted a project that fit that category. When I say family entertainers, I don’t just mean films you can watch with your family—I mean films that cater to all age groups, whether viewed individually or as a family. I found the script of Bharathanatyam interesting but I didn’t consider producing it at that time. A few months later, when I went to meet my production partner on this film, Thomas (Thiruvalla) ettan, in Dubai, I was casually mentioning some promising scripts I’d heard, and he was intrigued by the thread of Bharathanatyam. Shortly afterwards, it struck me that this could be my first film as a producer, as it was within a budget I could afford.
Could you elaborate on your added responsibility as a producer while also headlining the film?
During the shooting, I didn’t have much responsibility on the production side because Thomas ettan and his team were very efficient in managing the entire process. It was during post-production that I became more involved in that capacity, and I was also given the opportunity to contribute to the business side, which proved to be fruitful. I still don’t know the full ins and outs of the production process.
During the time of Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan, you mentioned your initial apprehensions about headlining films. Did you have similar thoughts while committing to Bharathanatyam?
My fear until Gunda Jayan was that no producer should suffer after spending money on me as a lead actor. Playing the hero is a different ball game, as the film revolves around your character for most of the running time. As a supporting actor, I know the audience has accepted me, but back then, I wasn’t sure if they would like to see me as a hero. When committing to Bharathanatyam, I didn’t have such reservations, as the films I headlined after Gunda Jayan did not result in losses for their respective producers. Also, I always ensure that whenever I’m headlining a film, the budget stays within a safe limit, and Bharathanatyam also falls into that category.
Are you still interested in doing more supporting roles now that you have increased the frequency of headlining films?
I actually love doing supporting roles because they are relatively tension-free. When you’re playing the lead, there are certain responsibilities you need to shoulder. I am currently working on Daveed, headlined by Antony Varghese, where I’m playing a supporting role. Before that, I acted in Nunakuzhi and Anand Sreebala, where I played supporting characters. So, I will continue to do both lead and supporting roles in parallel.
Besides acting and producing, you also tried your hand at writing with My Fan Ramu (2013). Have you considered writing anything since then?
No, I haven’t. I realised that what I attempted to write was not cinema. It was an amateurish attempt, and I don’t intend to pursue writing in the future. Writing requires a lot of creativity and patience—qualities that I don’t possess. Similarly, even with production, a full-fledged commitment is not something I see myself pursuing. I believe I am best suited only for acting, and even in that, I am still most comfortable with supporting roles.
Speaking about your future projects, is there any update on the development of Aadu 3 and the release of your web series debut Jai Mahendran?
I’ve been informed that we will start shooting Aadu 3 either this December or January next year, with a planned release in mid-2025. As for Jai Mahendran, I believe it will begin streaming in October. It’s a fun show consisting of six episodes, each around 30 minutes long, where I play the titular character, a deputy tahsildar.